The Portland daily press., 1887-08-20

eral Unionists voted against the government
and with the Gladstohians. This is the first
time since Chamberlain left Gladstone's cah-
met to oppose the granting of a Parliament
to Ireland, that he has been found voting
with his old premier on an important divis
ion relating to the Irish question. is this a
fulhllment of the prophecies that ''Slippery
Joe" as Chamberlain is often called. would
come back to the Gladstone fold so soon as
he should find that he could make nothing
by Liberal Unionist revolt? Mr.. Gosch,n.
who holds position in the Salisbury gov
ernment, and has probably left the Liberal
party Tor good, is generally credited with an
honest opposition to Home Rule Lord Har-
tlngton, too, is an interested opponent of
Home Rule, being of an aristocratic Whig
family of large landed possessions ;and seems
to have seeded from Gladstone on the prin-
ciple of standing by his order. Chamberlain,
ON the other hand, is neither a man of con-
Servative nature, as is Goschen, nor of large
landed possessions or aristocratic connection,
as is Harrington He is an advanced Liberal,
with many ideas bordering on Socialism,
aud, though wealthy, is the fayOrite of the
middle and industrial classes of Birming-
ham. His .cession from Gladstone, Morley
and Labouchere was therefore the more re-
markable; and has been readily and COM
monty attributed, not to principle, but to
personal ambition. He has been credited
with the thought that Gladstone had made a
great mistake in espousing the cause of Home
Rule, and that the career of the aged Liberal
leader was over. With Gladstone shelyed
for
Dixie disgraced. what Liberal leader would
be more sure Of the mantle than Joseph
Chamberlain, who had refused to follow
Gladstone in his fatal step? Whether he
thought this or not Chamberlain seeded
But he has found that Gladstone. not HIM
self, judged rightly the course of popular
sentiment The most overwhelming revela-
tion of this fact was the recent election in
the Norwich division of Cheshire; and
1t Is the result of that election which most
probably induced Mr.. Chamberlain to refuse
to support the Lords amendments on Thurs
day night. The Duke of Westminster,
VIII ose sor. Lord Grosvenor, was defeated so
overwhelmingly by Mr.. Brunner, the Liber-
| al candidate, was one of the most influential
| of the Liberal peers The Grcsvenor family
Is one OF the Oldest In England, and by far
| the richest in landed estates. When the
| great Wing families, alarmed at the spread
of radical ideas, were one by one going over
| to the Tories, the Grosvenors never wa
yered. When Mr.. Gladstone succeeded Dis
raeli he raised the head of the Grosvenor
family from Marquis /. to Duke Never
theless when Mr.. Gladstone declared for
Home Rule the Duke of Westminster sold
Gladstone's picture, and having inflicted this
insult. betook himself to an alliance with the
Tories. The people of kis native county
have had an opportunity to pass their opin-
ion on this performance, and they rebuked it
with an overwhelming majority for Mr..
Gladstone's candidate. Coming the tenth
in series of lesser, but similar reproofs,
this election must have taught the dissident
Liberals that their only course is straight
bolt into the Tory ranks or return to Glad
stone. Mr.. Chamberlaih's vote in Thurs
days division indicates where he will land.